San Mateo Woolly Sunflower
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Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office
Species Account
SAN MATEO WOOLLY SUNFLOWER
(Eriophyllum latilobum)
CLASSIFICATION: Federal Endangered Species(Federal Register 60:6671 pdf; February 3, 1995).
CRITICAL HABITAT: None designated.
RECOVERY PLAN: Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, September 30, 1998 (pdf format)
DESCRIPTION:
San Mateo woolly sunflower (Eriophyllum latilobum) is a bushy perennial of the aster family (Asteraceae) with leafy stems 12 to16 inches high. The upper surfaces of the deeply three-cleft leaves are a smooth dark green and the lower surfaces are covered with densely interwoven white hairs. The golden flower heads, which bloom in May and June, are borne in loose clusters. See Hickman (1993) in General Information about California Plants, below, for a detailed description of the species.
DISTRIBUTION:
San Mateo woolly sunflower is found in shaded moist sites on steep grassy or sparsely wooded slopes of serpentine-influenced soil. The remaining occurrences consist of a few hundred plants scattered along 2.5 miles of Crystal Springs Road in San Mateo County. These are probably the fragments of a once-continuous population.
Serpentine soils are formed from weathered volcanic (ultramafic) rocks such as serpentinite, dunite, and peridotite. These soils provide a harsh environment for plant growth. Several factors contribute to the inhospitability of serpentine soils to plant growth including: 1) a low calcium-magnesium ratio; 2) lack of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous; and 3) high concentrations of heavy metals (mineral toxicity). However, species such as San Mateo woolly sunflower have adapted to serpentine soils and require them to survive.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
San Mateo woolly sunflower is threatened by many factors. Dumping of garden debris and downhill seepage of pesticides from homeowners living above the population may have a negative impact. The plant also is threatened by competition with nonnative plants
The steep slopes along Crystal Springs Road provide a very unstable habitat for San Mateo woolly sunflower. The slopes are subject to erosion and soil slippage. After soil slippage occurs, road maintenance crews remove the slumped soil, which may contain mature individuals, seedlings, and/or seeds. The road cut is then reshaped, which may damage plants remaining on the banks.
This species was listed as endangered by the California Department of Fish and Game in June 1992. The California Native Plant Society has placed it on List 1B (rare or endangered throughout its range).
REFERENCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Rydberg, P.A. 1915. Eriophyllanae. N. Am. Flora 34:81-100.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1995. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Ten Plants and Threatened Status for Two Plants From Serpentine Habitats in the San Francisco Bay Region of California. Portland, Oregon.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1998. Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area. Portland, Oregon.
General Information about California Plants
Photo credit: San Mateo Woolly Sunflower © 1994 Dean Wm. Taylor Calphoto ID:0000 0000 0801 0314
Prepared by Endangered
Species Div., Sacramento Fish & Wildlife
Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service
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